The final verse of “Once and Again” refers to Jesus as “the Lamb of God.” Sheep are interesting creatures. In the wild of these Central Asian mountains I am looking out from right now, I see (and smell) herds upon herds of sheep of every shape and size. In this part of the world, one comical and notable feature of sheep is their distractingly large rumps consisting of pure fat. When they run into roads, traipse over busy train tracks, and foolishly trip along obviously dangerous mountain paths, their massive rumps and tiny brains tumble along.
Once and Again: Making All Things Well
For weeks, I have found myself humming or singing the new Advent song, “Once and Again.” Whether I am working at my computer, buying presents, running errands, wrapping gifts, hosting, or doing any of the myriad of things women do during the holidays, I find myself singing these lyrics. The biblical truths they proclaim has made them the melody line to my Christmas, reminding me over and again of the redemptive gifts of Advent: Jesus has come and He is coming again!
Once and Again: Our Worthy Lamb
Theology and music. These two words make my heart sing. Is there any better song than one that is written with a biblically accurate text set to a beautiful tune? Douglas O’Donnell notes, “We are to sing to the Lord as he is revealed in Scripture. We are to sing of his name. We are to sing of his person. We are to sing of his works. We are to magnify him and him alone!” How blessed we are as a church to be able to sing “Once and Again” this Advent season, which allows us to sing about our trinitarian God as He is revealed in Scripture.
Once and Again: Jesus, Our Messiah
The advent season is upon us, and we know in our busy bones that this means we should pause to reflect – pause the shopping, pause the planning, just pause, and be with Jesus. If you’re anything like me, this can feel like being pulled in two directions. Being still in this whirlwind of a season can feel like mixing oil and water! I find this especially true as a public school music teacher – a typical December week looks like three school concerts, three to four rehearsals, and a personal gig or two. Everybody’s busy looks different! But no matter what your busy is, when you stop to consider the season, pressing pause in a full schedule is oil and water to the soul.
Once and Again: Our Advent Season
Advent is a special season. Through lighting candles, Advent calendars, Bible reading plans, nativity scenes and more, we celebrate Advent by reflecting on Christ’s birth and His second coming. Our savior came once, in the birth of Christ. And He will come again, in the second coming described in Revelation.
Immanuel, God With Us
“Immanuel, God with us,” is without question one of the most beautiful, life altering, hope inspiring phrases in the entire world of words. It was an Old Testament prophecy foretelling of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14), a fulfilled reality testified to in the New Testament (Matthew 1:20-23), and it has been our church's theme the entire month of December. It is also one of my favorite names of Jesus.
Make Plans to Savor the Season
An Invitation To Advent Non-Activity
Advent is my favorite time of year and I love that our church celebrates Christ’s coming the four Sundays before Christmas. This year I’ve felt a pull to celebrate Advent in two specific ways and I invite you to join me!